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Is Overwatch Cross Platform?

​Is ​Overwatch cross platform? Fans of the popular hero shooter have long wondered if it'd be possible to play with friends across different platforms and consoles.

Overwatch released in May 2016, developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. It was launched on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Since release, it has had several content updates and patches, most recently the addition of ​new playable character Baptiste raising its roster to 30 heroes.

Is Overwatch Cross Platform?

Play across platforms is an increasing feature in multiplayer games. Its implementation in ​Fortnite was a major attribute in seeing Fortnite rise as one of the most popular games in recent times, as it allowed for a much larger active playerbase.

Overwatch does not support cross platform play at present, but it has not been dismissed as a future possibility. Lead game designer Jeff Kaplan spoke as recently as late 2018 that the development team was still working on possible solutions to implement crossplay in Overwatch.

Cross-platform play is tricky to implement not only because of technical difficulties but also because it requires approval and cooperation from console manufacturers like Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. In competitive shooters, console players are also at a disadvantage compared to PC players due to the inherently more precise control scheme of a mouse and keyboard.